# Thomas Coombes
**Thomas Coombes** (full name Thomas Hamilton Coombes) is a British stage and screen actor, born in [Southend-on-Sea](https://www.edgepedia.org/southend-on-sea), Essex, England, best known for playing Goz in Sky's BAFTA-winning series *Save Me* and Officer Daniels in the Netflix hit *Baby Reindeer*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3238734/) His film work includes the one-take kitchen drama *Boiling Point*, the Oscar-nominated *Living* starring [Bill Nighy](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-nighy), and Netflix's *Luther: The Fallen Sun*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3238734/) The name is shared by unrelated public figures, including a communications strategist who developed Hope-Based Communications at [Amnesty International](https://www.edgepedia.org/amnesty-international).[2](https://worldjusticeproject.org/world-justice-forum-vi/thomas-coombes)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / birth | Thomas Hamilton Coombes; born March 5, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3238734/) |
| Signature TV roles | Goz in *Save Me* (Sky, BAFTA-winning, 11 episodes across two series); Daniels in *Baby Reindeer* (Netflix, 2024, 4 episodes)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3238734/) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/56993/thomas-coombes) |
| Notable films | *Boiling Point* (Mr. Lovejoy), *Living* (Police Constable), *Luther: The Fallen Sun* (Archie Woodward), *Small Axe* (PC Royce)[4](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/thomas-coombes) |
| Stage landmark | Title role in *Death of England: Michael* at @sohoplace, West End, 2024, a 100-minute solo show[5](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/death-of-england-michael-in-the-west-end-review_1618724) |
| Training | Guildford School of Acting; began Saturday drama classes at age six[4](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/thomas-coombes) • [6](https://culture-essex.co.uk/ambassador/thomas-coombes/) |
| Award | Offie (Off West End award) for playing Paul in *Barbarians*[7](https://metacast.app/podcast/up-close-with-carlos-tseng/hiQQm3eg/thomas-coombes-crafting-for-screen-and-stage/cAE84K78) |
## Early life and training
Coombes was born in Southend-on-Sea and grew up in nearby [Leigh-on-Sea](https://www.edgepedia.org/leigh-on-sea), where he began attending a Saturday drama class at six years old and performed locally at venues such as The Palace Theatre in Westcliff and the Towngate Theatre in Basildon.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3238734/) • [6](https://culture-essex.co.uk/ambassador/thomas-coombes/) He has described Essex as the place where he found his passion for the arts, citing the county's drama schools, festivals, and amateur dramatics scene as formative.[6](https://culture-essex.co.uk/ambassador/thomas-coombes/) After training at the Guildford School of Acting, his stage work included Birmingham Repertory Theatre and [Shakespeare's Globe](https://www.edgepedia.org/shakespeares-globe).[4](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/thomas-coombes)
## Stage career
**Shakespeare and new writing.** Coombes played Oswald in *King Lear* at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre, a performance recorded for the 2016 film version, and Gratiano and the Prince of Arragon in *The Merchant of Venice* at the Globe.[7](https://metacast.app/podcast/up-close-with-carlos-tseng/hiQQm3eg/thomas-coombes-crafting-for-screen-and-stage/cAE84K78) • [8](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/578692-thomas-coombes) Early in his career he won an Offie for his performance as Paul in *Barbarians*, a revival of Barry Keefe's play about youth unemployment.[7](https://metacast.app/podcast/up-close-with-carlos-tseng/hiQQm3eg/thomas-coombes-crafting-for-screen-and-stage/cAE84K78) His first West End appearance was in *A Kind of People*, which opened in 2019.[9](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Thomas-Coombes/)
**Death of England: Michael.** In 2024 Coombes took the title role in *Death of England: Michael* at the @sohoplace theater, running in repertory with *Death of England: Delroy* and *Death of England: Closing Time* until 28 September 2024.[5](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/death-of-england-michael-in-the-west-end-review_1618724) The play, written by Clint Dyer and Roy Williams and directed by Dyer, is a 100-minute monologue in which Michael mourns his flower-stall-owning father Alan, a family man and deep-rooted racist, and grapples with his own identity after the death.[5](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/death-of-england-michael-in-the-west-end-review_1618724) The role was originated by [Rafe Spall](https://www.edgepedia.org/rafe-spall) at the National Theatre, and Coombes called it the hardest thing he had ever done, describing the solo format as a bit like doing stand-up, different every night.[10](https://www.whufc.com/en/news/view-my-seat-actor-thomas-coombes) It was his first one-person show.[7](https://metacast.app/podcast/up-close-with-carlos-tseng/hiQQm3eg/thomas-coombes-crafting-for-screen-and-stage/cAE84K78) Reviewers described the performance as a powerhouse, with Coombes roaring rather than speaking through a script updated to reference England's loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.[5](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/death-of-england-michael-in-the-west-end-review_1618724) A National Theatre Live filming of the production was released in 2025.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3238734/)
## Screen career
Coombes's screen work spans more than a decade of British television, much of it in guest and recurring parts. His early credits include *Jekyll and Hyde* (as Edward Hyde), *Knightfall*, *Hatton Garden*, *London Kills*, and the third series of *Stan Lee's Lucky Man*.[4](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/thomas-coombes) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/56993/thomas-coombes) He played Keith in four episodes of the sitcom *[Him & Her](https://www.edgepedia.org/him-and-her)* and appeared in comedies including *[Man Down](https://www.edgepedia.org/man-down-tv-series)* and *Count Arthur Strong*.[11](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/thomas_coombes/)
**Breakthrough roles.** His part as Goz in *[Save Me](https://www.edgepedia.org/save-me-british-tv-series)*, the [Lennie James](https://www.edgepedia.org/lennie-james) drama on Sky, ran across the show's first two series, 11 episodes in total, in a series that won a BAFTA and an RTS award.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/56993/thomas-coombes) • [12](https://www.absolutemusicchat.com/music-qa-sessions/in-conversation-with-thomas-coombes-actor-save-me-hatton-garden-stan-lees-lucky-man/) On film he appeared as Mr. Lovejoy in *Boiling Point* (2021), as a police constable in the Oscar-nominated *Living* (2022), as Archie Woodward in *Luther: The Fallen Sun* (2023), and as PC Royce in the "Mangrove" episode of [Steve McQueen](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-mcqueen)'s anthology *Small Axe* (2020).[4](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/thomas-coombes) • [8](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/578692-thomas-coombes)
**2024 onward.** The Netflix series *Baby Reindeer* (2024) brought wider recognition, with Coombes playing Officer Daniels in four episodes; a West Ham United feature described the character as the "pretty useless" Officer Daniels.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/56993/thomas-coombes) • [10](https://www.whufc.com/en/news/view-my-seat-actor-thomas-coombes) The same year he appeared in *[The Acolyte](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-acolyte-tv-series)* (as a Convict), *Black Doves* (Phillip Bray), *[Moonflower Murders](https://www.edgepedia.org/moonflower-murders-tv-series)* (Derek Endicott / Eric Chandler, six episodes), and *The Agency* (Tom, ten episodes).[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/56993/thomas-coombes) In 2025 he played Mr. Dundas in *Miss Austen*, a role one review described as "lightly ridiculous", and Jed Nixon in the second series of *The Gold*, the BBC drama about the [Brink's-Mat robbery](https://www.edgepedia.org/brinks-mat-robbery).[13](https://time.com/7281893/miss-austen-review-pbs/) • [14](https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/the-gold-season-2-cast-plot-and-everything-we-know) Upcoming credits include *Legends* (Shaun, 2026) and *The Portrait of a Lady* (Mr. Bantling).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3238734/)
## References
1. [Thomas Coombes, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3238734/)
2. [Thomas Coombes, World Justice Project](https://worldjusticeproject.org/world-justice-forum-vi/thomas-coombes)
3. [Thomas Coombes, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/56993/thomas-coombes)
4. [Thomas Coombes biography, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/thomas-coombes)
5. [Death of England: Michael in the West End – review, WhatsOnStage](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/death-of-england-michael-in-the-west-end-review_1618724)
6. [Thomas Coombes, Culture Essex](https://culture-essex.co.uk/ambassador/thomas-coombes/)
7. [Thomas Coombes: Crafting for Screen and Stage, Up Close with Carlos Tseng](https://metacast.app/podcast/up-close-with-carlos-tseng/hiQQm3eg/thomas-coombes-crafting-for-screen-and-stage/cAE84K78)
8. [Thomas Coombes, The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/578692-thomas-coombes)
9. [Thomas Coombes, Broadway World](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Thomas-Coombes/)
10. [View From My Seat: Actor Thomas Coombes, West Ham United FC](https://www.whufc.com/en/news/view-my-seat-actor-thomas-coombes)
11. [Thomas Coombes, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/thomas_coombes/)
12. [In Conversation with Thomas Coombes, Absolute Music Chat](https://www.absolutemusicchat.com/music-qa-sessions/in-conversation-with-thomas-coombes-actor-save-me-hatton-garden-stan-lees-lucky-man/)
13. [Miss Austen review, TIME](https://time.com/7281893/miss-austen-review-pbs/)
14. [The Gold season 2 cast and plot, What to Watch](https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/the-gold-season-2-cast-plot-and-everything-we-know)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames C*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license